BIGBEN INTERACTIVE : First quarter 2012/2013 sales : 205.7 €m

 First quarter 2012/2013 sales : 205.7 €m

· +191.5 % like for like growth
· Very strong contribution of special offers in smartphone distribution
 · Growth is back for video gaming businesses

(1)The 2011/12 reported scope of consolidation is limited to the previous scope of Bigben Interactive as at 30 June 2011.
 (2) The 2011/12 like for like scope of consolidation includes figures of ModeLabs Group as from 01 April 2011.

The Bigben Interactive Group achieved sales of €UR 205.7 million for the fourth quarter ending 30th June 2012, against 11.8 €m on a reported basis and 70.6 €m like for like when compared with the same period of the previous FY 2011/12.

The exceptional volumes of activity are linked to the strong growth of Distribution sales which amount to 177.6 €m against 47.1€min 1^st quarter of FY 2011/12. This level of achievement was mainly generated by special offers of Smartphones, in line with the last two quarters. However the Group lays stress on the non-recurring aspect of such a business flow offering poor visibility ahead.

In addition, all first party businesses (Design & Publishing) are globally up by 19.8% for the first three months of FY 2012/13 with:

• Video gaming businesses showing growth for the first time over the last four quarters despite a market still in a transition period and posting sales up by 8.8% ;
• Accessories for Mobile phones growing further and expanding their international presence with quarterly sales up by 23.4 % ;
• Audio products recording sales up by 31.1%.

Breakdown of turnover by territories, including domestic sales and export sales from these territories
(like for like)

In France, sales for the 1^stquarter of FY 2012/2013 amount to 200.3 €m against 65.7 €min 1^stquarter of FY 2011/12. This strong growth is pulled by:

• the dynamics of Design & Publishing activities with a 22.5 % sales  growth during the quarter due to increasing sales of gaming & phone Accessories and good sales of Audio products. Publishing sales are not significant prior to the first contributions expected from new games to be released during autumn 2012 ;
• the exceptional achievements of mobile phone Distribution through high volume special offers while sales of video games in Exclusive Distribution grow by 30.1 % especially with the success of Test Drive Ferrari.

Outside France, sales grow by 12.2 % in 1^stquarter 2012/2013 due to first contributions of mobile accessory sales, a major axis for the Group development abroad further to the takeover of ModeLabs.

• The German subsidiary follows its strong momentum supported by the first sales of ModeLabs phone accessories, the listing of these with major retailers develops steadily in a market offering a particularly strong potential  ;
• Benelux maintains sales at the same level as last year, with the growth of first party business (video gaming and phone accessories) offsetting the temporary lull in exclusive Distribution before the launch of a new software catalogue in the coming months .
• Irregular cycles of export sales are characteristic for the business of the Hong-Kong subsidiary and therefore sales posted in the past quarter are not deemed very significant.

Breakdown of turnover by businesses

With the exceptional sales growth in Mobile phone Distribution, the relative part of first party products developed under Design & Publishing amounts to 13.7 % of consolidated sales in 1^st quarter of FY 2012/13 against 33.3 % in the same period of previous FY 2011/12.

Outlook

In view of the strong sales volumes generated in 1st quarter of FY 2012/13 by special offers of Smartphones and in the present state of its knowledge on the short term evolution of the market, the BIGBEN INTERACTIVE Group upgrades its annual sales target to a figure in excess of 500 €m for the current financial year ending on 31 March 2013. However this sales growth should have a limited impact on operating profitability due to lower margins in mobile phone distribution and the target for the annual operating result is therefore confirmed at 30 €m.

Market leader for both video gaming accessories and mobile phone accessories, the BIGBEN INTERACTIVE Group now implements a strategy of complementary know-how and product offers in order to meet the evolution of the multimedia world. Its ambition is to become a leader in converging multimedia accessories and a key player on the European multimedia market, relying on its size, its development capabilities and its commercial network.